Memes these days… they really speak for themselves 😂
In this newsletter, you’ll find: 👇
📦 How to create content that ACTUALLY gets engagement
📦 Outerspace: falling fast and hard for the 3PL that makes third-party logistics a breeze
📦 3 ways to utilize TikTok stories for your brand
📦 Combining micro-influencer amplification with UGC creation with Minisocial
Read till the end to access exclusive DTC swag. 😎
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You’ve asked, and we’ve listened. One of the most common questions that lands in our inbox is, “How do I create content that people actually engage with?”
We asked the most clever creatives what you can do to start boosting those posts.
Engagement in ads is important – especially on Meta. It’s a big part of the advertising pie, and you want to ensure you’ve got your slice!
Users can like and comment on ads, so your media buyers and creative managers need to know how to maximize that screen real estate.
Are your ads driving comments?
If you see an ad on a Meta and you’re even slightly interested in the product, you’ll find yourself in the comments section. That’s true for potential buyers of your products too! Scrollers are clicking into comments to see the ‘real talk’ about your product!
Engagement is a fickle monster. Sometimes you can run a campaign where the image asks prospects to answer, but it might not be directly related to sales. Just because people are engaging doesn’t mean they’re also buying.
Our marvelous Meta Senior Buyer says the answer is finding an “angle, offer and social proof to help ads find their fastest path to success.”
Engagement is often received organically through:
Looking for engagement doesn’t have to be so serious! Try using something funny. When people find humor online, they’re more likely to remember, share, interact, and talk about it.
If you aren’t swimming in cash, or don’t have a design team to make a great funny ad, it’s time to get memeing. Memes take minimal talent and time but are a FANTASTIC way to relate your brand to the buyer’s life.
If you don’t have time to be memeing around, we know a team that’s pretty great at it. 😉
That is, no one used the word “love” and “3PL” in the same sentence until they met *bells ringing* Outerspace.
After all, it’s easy to fall fast and hard for the 3PL that makes third-party logistics a breeze for your quickly scaling DTC brand. ❤️
They don’t like to brag, buuuuuuuut…
Outerspace powers limitless growth – their clients grew by an average of 101% in 2021. 🤯
Here's how they'll help you do it too:
Most importantly, they have a team that cares as much about your customer's experience as you do.
👉 Don’t wait another day to partner with Outerspace, the 3PL that you’ll love (actually).
It seems that every social platform has, at one point or another, jumped on the ‘stories’ bandwagon. 🤷♀️
There were Snapchat Stories (ah the good ol’ days) first, then Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, Twitter Stor -- Fleets (🪦), LinkedIn Stories, and now TikTok Stories.
Some of these Stories’ functionalities have been wildly successful, while others have, well… Not been renewed for Season 2, if you catch our drift… 😬
Stories tend to be effective when they can provide added value to a user’s experience on the platform. TikTok stories have been available on the platform for months… But viewers, creators, and brands are still trying to figure out what that special ‘value’ could be. 🧐
While some may see this as its downfall, it could be looked at as a huge opportunity. Brands and other influential accounts have the chance to become trailblazers in this space.
TikTok and Instagram actually have something in common here… TikTok is at a phase in its existence that Instagram was at, right before the platform introduced Stories as a feature.
Travel back in time with us to a 2016 Instagram feed… Can you see it? Perfectly edited photos, videos filmed in 1080p – everything is “grid-worthy” and the practice of having a carefully-crafted Instagram aesthetic is in full swing.
When Stories were introduced, users on the platform slowly started to unveil snapshots into their real lives, and since these snapshots expired in 24 hours, they could finally feel like it was more acceptable to post content that didn’t necessarily “fit” into their aesthetic.
From there, Stories took off because there was an unknown need for them among Instagram users.
Now, the question is… Do TikTok users have that same need? TikTok too has become a place where creators and brands alike are diligently editing videos that they know will perform well by following spoken or unspoken guidelines that determine success in the algorithm. While a lot of TikTok users show their unapologetic selves on the platform, we think, like Instagram, TikTok is heading into that ‘perfect aesthetic’ territory… See where we’re going here? 😏
We’ve established why TikTok Stories could be headed toward success, now let’s talk about how your DTC brand can achieve that success. 👇
1️⃣ Expanding your brand equity
TikTok Stories allow your DTC brand to further develop your brand’s value and personality. Show your consumers that your company has more to offer than just the products you sell! Pairing your TikTok posts with Story content would be a great place to start.
For example:
or
2️⃣ Creating exclusive opportunities
Entice your consumers with content that is only available to them on your TikTok Story. Do you have a summer sale approaching? Users can find discount codes ONLY on your Stories!
Do you have an idea for a content series that you want to test out? Make it Stories-exclusive!
3️⃣ Peering into the future
What’s on the horizon for your brand? Use TikTok Stories to tell your consumers!
Direct users to your Story when you post a sneak peek teasing a future launch, or ask users to guess an upcoming influencer partnership. Keeping your consumers updated on what’s coming next generates excitement and brand loyalty!
So, how are you going to incorporate TikTok Stories into your brand marketing strategy?
⏰ It's time to rethink your content strategy by using UGC campaigns from minisocial.
They combine micro-influencer amplification with UGC creation from creators across 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇬🇧
What can UGC do for your brand?
👉 Boost ad performance and increase ROI with stronger ad creative. Get a library of fully-licensed assets to support ad testing and iteration.
👉 Slash content creation costs! A minisocial campaign starts at just 1.7k (thanks to your DTC discount 😉) and produces over 25 unique, fully-licensed assets.
👉 Build your community organically by leveraging our creators’ followings to build a powerful audience of new, engaged customers.
🚨 Attribution? Measurement? What's the buzz, anyway? 🤷 Join us on August 18 for an overview of how to market smarter by leveraging an attribution platform as you scale your DTC brand.*
👀 Are you a founder, executive, or team lead from a DTC brand? Join DTC Newsletter for C-Suite Mastermind in Victoria BC, Sept 21-23. Hang out with mentors from Tiny Capital, Unilever, Blume, and Tru Earth. Only 50 spots available – lock in yours today!
🛍 China’s billionaire Jack Ma plans to hand over control of Ant Group, the fintech company that is closely affiliated with Alibaba.
🚚 Delivery tech company Nash raised $20M in a Series A round.
👖 Huue has raised $14.6M in a Series A for what it says is the world’s first clean indigo dye for denim
🥚 Frontegg, a user management service for developers who build B2B SaaS apps, announced that it has raised a $40M Series B.
*Sponsored
👽 Dropping a cool million in sales in ten minutes with Nell Diamond from Hill House Home and Ricky Choi from Outerspace.
💧 Is the future of DTC free? Dive deep with FreeWater's Josh Cliffords.
🥣 How General Mills is Going Direct To Consumer with Carter Jensen, Global Lead for DTC.
🍫 Tabs Sex Chocolate: Engineering Virality from Day One.
💸 Ridge Wallet CEO Sean Frank's Hot Takes After $100 Million+ in Sales.
☕️ Death Wish Coffee's Will Critcher Spills the Beans.
Don’t forget to rate the DTC Podcast on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight, Kate Gullett, and Jordan Gillis. Edited by Eric Dyck.
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